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ABOUT THE PROJECT

AI literacy is a democratic skill.

EnactAI helps young people and youth professionals understand, question and influence how artificial intelligence shapes democratic life.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant technology — it is already shaping how young people learn, communicate, find work, and participate in democratic life. From algorithmic content curation on social media to AI-assisted hiring systems and automated public services, AI decisions are directly affecting the lives of young Europeans every day. Yet most young people — and many of the professionals who work with them — have had little opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, or critical frameworks needed to engage with AI on their own terms.

This gap between the pace of AI deployment and the preparedness of citizens — especially young citizens — is a democratic challenge as much as a technological one. AI systems are not neutral: they are built on existing data and can reflect and amplify biases and inequalities. As youth workers and educators, we have a responsibility to ensure that AI is used in ways that empower young people and contribute to more inclusive and democratic societies.

EnactAI was created to address this gap. Bringing together five organisations from Germany, Austria, Croatia, and Romania, the project builds on decades of collective expertise in non-formal education, digital literacy, youth participation, and policy advocacy. Through transnational collaboration, co-designed tools, and a commitment to open resources, we aim to make AI literacy a permanent fixture of youth education across Europe.

Our Goals

  • Increase AI literacy and critical digital competences among young people aged 14–22, with a particular focus on first-time voters.

  • Strengthen the capacity of youth workers and educators to facilitate AI-related learning and democratic dialogue in non-formal settings.

  • Develop and share a Digital Toolbox of proven methods, good practices, and open educational materials on AI and democracy.

  • Foster transnational exchange of knowledge and good practice between partner countries and beyond.

  • Produce evidence-based Policy Recommendations to support the integration of AI literacy into EU and national youth education strategies.

Specific Objectives

1

Develop a shared Code of Conduct for the responsible use of AI in youth work settings, grounded in EU AI Act principles.

2

Create a comprehensive Digital Toolbox on AI and democracy, including good practices, multimedia resources, and frameworks for multi-day youth events such as Bar-camps, Social Hackathons, and Democracy Labs.

3

Design and deliver a blended learning Training Programme for youth workers and non-formal educators across all partner countries.

4

Engage at least 100 practitioners and 200 stakeholders directly in project activities and consultations.

5

Produce a Policy Recommendations document addressing AI literacy in EU and national youth policy frameworks, with input from decision-makers across partner countries.

How We Work

EnactAI is grounded in non-formal education principles: learning by doing, peer exchange, critical reflection, and active participation. All activities are co-designed with input from the young people and professionals they serve — making participation both an essential topic and a guiding principle of the project itself.

Methodological principles

Participation: Young people and professionals are co-designers, not just recipients. Their feedback shapes every phase of the project.

Inclusion: Multifaceted barriers — physical, social, economic, and cultural — are considered in all activities. No one is left out.

Critical thinking: We do not tell young people what to think about AI — we build their capacity to think, question, and act for themselves.

Peer learning: Professionals and young people act simultaneously as learners and teachers, exchanging different perspectives.

Open resources: Everything we produce is freely available as OER, licensed for reuse, and designed to outlast the project.

Blended learning: We combine in-person and online formats to reach diverse groups and reduce environmental impact.

Our European Framework

EnactAI is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union under Key Action 2 — Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices. The project directly addresses the EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027 (Engage, Connect, Empower), the Digital Education Action Plan 2021–2027, the European Democracy Action Plan 2020, and the EU Digital Compass 2030. It incorporates the provisions of the EU AI Act (2023) and GDPR into all of its educational frameworks and tools.

     POLICY ALIGNMENT

  • EU Youth Strategy 2019–2027 — Engage, Connect, Empower
  • EU AI Act 2023 — youth and civic education dimensions
  • European Democracy Action Plan 2020
  • Digital Education Action Plan 2021–2027
  • EU Digital Compass 2030
  • Council of Europe — Democracy and Human Rights Education (DARE)

Explore the project

Artificial intelligence already shapes how young people learn, communicate, find work and participate in democratic life. Algorithmic curation, AI-assisted hiring and automated services affect young Europeans every day.

Many young people and youth professionals have had little opportunity to develop the knowledge and critical frameworks needed to engage with these systems on their own terms. EnactAI addresses this democratic and educational gap through transnational cooperation, co-designed tools and open resources.

  • Increase critical AI literacy among young people aged 14–22, especially first-time voters.
  • Strengthen youth workers’ and educators’ capacity to facilitate learning and democratic dialogue.
  • Develop a Digital Toolbox of methods, good practices and open materials.
  • Foster transnational exchange and produce evidence-based policy recommendations.
  1. Develop a Code of Conduct for responsible AI use in youth work.
  2. Create a comprehensive Digital Toolbox on AI and democracy.
  3. Deliver a blended Train-the-Trainer programme.
  4. Engage at least 100 practitioners and 200 stakeholders.
  5. Produce policy recommendations for EU and national youth policy.

EnactAI is grounded in non-formal education: learning by doing, peer exchange, critical reflection and active participation. Young people and professionals help co-design activities and resources rather than acting only as recipients.

  • Participation: participants are co-designers.
  • Inclusion: physical, social, economic and cultural barriers are considered.
  • Critical thinking: learners build their ability to question and act.
  • Peer learning: professionals and young people learn from one another.
  • Open resources: outputs are reusable OER.
  • Blended learning: online and in-person methods improve reach.

EnactAI is co-funded through Erasmus+ Key Action 2. It aligns with the EU Youth Strategy, EU AI Act, European Democracy Action Plan, Digital Education Action Plan, EU Digital Compass 2030 and Council of Europe democracy and human-rights education frameworks.

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